1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft, and more particularly to an aircraft having a rotating turbine engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aircraft powered by internal combustion turbine engines have long been known in the art. The turbojet engine was first used to power aircraft in the late 1930's and is comprised generally of a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine. In a conventional gas turbine engine, the air compressor is mechanically coupled to the combustion chamber, which in turn is coupled to the turbine. A gas turbine engine of this kind operates by compressing air in the compressor to high pressure. The compressed air is communicated to the combustion chamber, where it is mixed with gas and ignited to undergo combustion. The resulting combustion produces a high pressure, high velocity gas mixture that is directed to the turbine, motivating the turbine to generate force. The gas mixture is expelled through a nozzle in the turbine, generating thrust by accelerating the hot exhaust gas mixture to atmospheric pressure. The thrust output energy of the engine is used to power the aircraft.
Since their early development, aircraft have utilized engines having multiple turbines to generate a greater thrust than can be achieved by using one turbine alone. The turbines are generally connected in series, with one turbine behind another. In this kind of gas turbine engine, the turbines are mounted on the same side of the compressor such that exhaust from the first turbine is transferred to the second turbine. However, the connection of turbines in series does not maximize the possible thrust output of the turbines.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,698 to Walsh et al. teaches a gas turbine engine having three turbines arranged to flow in series. According to Walsh et al., the first turbine is arranged to drive a first compressor, the second turbine is arranged to drive a second compressor, and the third turbine is arranged to drive an output shaft. The turbines are arranged in series on the downstream side the combustor. Because the turbines are arranged in series, the thrust output is dissipated as the energy produced by the combustion travels from turbine to turbine, with only the third turbine arranged to drive the output shaft. In the gas turbine engine taught by Walsh et al., the combustion of high velocity, high pressure gas mixture from the combustion chamber cannot be simultaneously and equally directed to the three turbines to generate maximum thrust because the turbines are arranged in series.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,284 to Kronogard et al. teaches a combustion engine having two turbines connected in series, of which one drives the compressor and the other transfers its output to the engine mechanically. Kronogard et al. teaches that the turbines and the compressor are mounted at the same side of the engine. Again, the thrust output is dissipated as the energy produced by the combustion travels from turbine to turbine, because the turbines are arranged in series. In the gas turbine engine taught by Kronogard et al., the combustion of high velocity, high pressure gas mixture from the combustion chamber cannot be simultaneously and equally directed to the three turbines to generate maximum thrust because the turbines are arranged in series.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,818 to Snell teaches a gas turbine for aircrafts having two compressors and two turbines arranged in flow series. The arrangement of the turbines in series does not maximize the thrust output because energy is dissipated as the combustion of high velocity, high pressure gas mixture from the combustion chamber travels from the first turbine to the second turbine.
Accordingly, there is a need for an aircraft having a gas turbine engine that can maximize thrust output by employment of multiple turbines that are not arranged in series.
There is a need for an aircraft having a gas turbine engine having at least two turbines arranged to receive the combustion of high velocity, high pressure gas mixture from the combustion chamber simultaneously.
There is a need for an aircraft having a gas turbine engine having at least two turbines arranged in an opposite configuration to receive the combustion of high velocity, high pressure gas mixture from the combustion chamber simultaneously such that the gas mixture is expelled in the same direction to maximize thrust output. Such an aircraft would have greater propulsive thrust and operate more efficiently than those currently known.
Further, aircraft known in the art utilize conventional means to control the direction of aircraft while in flight. An aircraft generally has three axes of rotation, namely, the longitudinal axis, the vertical axis, and the lateral axis. The longitudinal axis extends lengthwise (nose through tail) and rotation about this axis is called “roll.” The lateral axis extends across the aircraft from wing to wing and rotation about this axis is called “pitch.” The vertical axis extends vertically through the cross-section of the other two axes and rotation about this axis is called “yaw.”
Roll about longitudinal axis is usually controlled via the action of ailerons. Ailerons are attached to the wing and move the wing up when the aileron is in a downward position because it produces more lift on the wing. When the aileron is facing upward, it will reduce lift on the wing and move the wing down. For example, to roll an aircraft to the right, the aileron on the right wing will be raised and the aileron on the left wing will be lowered.
Pitching movement is controlled by the elevator, which is attached to the horizontal stabilizer. The elevator can be deflected up to move the tail of the aircraft down for ascent of the aircraft, or the elevator can be moved down for descent of the aircraft.
The yaw, or movement of the aircraft about the vertical axis in a side-to-side direction and is normally controlled by a rudder. Moving the rudder to the right or left will cause the aircraft to move to the right or left.
All of the above mechanisms used to control the roll, pitch and yaw of the aircraft, including ailerons, elevator, and rudders, can be manipulated by cockpit controls.
As set forth above, conventional aircraft known in the art do not recite directional control of the aircraft via rotating an engine's propulsive thrust. The directional movement of the aircraft is gradual and does not allow for sharp changes in the directional movement of the aircraft.
Other aircraft known in the art, such as vertical take-off and landing aircraft, utilize stationary engines, or engines having rotating nozzles to direct their propulsive thrust downward for lift-off and horizontally for forward flight, and intermediate directions therebetween. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,337 to Kress et al. describes an aircraft having a single engine with dual jet exhausts. The jet exhausts further comprise nozzles mounted to the exhausts that are vertically oriented for takeoff and landing, and horizontally positioned for cruise. The nozzles direct the exhaust in downward and aft directions, as well as intermediate angles.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,588 to Garland describes a thrust deflector for use in a vertical or short take-off and landing aircraft. The nozzles are rotatable to discharge pressurized gas from an engine downwardly or rearwardly, depending on the position of the nozzles.
However, aircraft in the prior art does not disclose a means to rotate a gas turbine engine 360° and therefore rotate the propulsive thrust generated by the engine 360° to control the direction of the aircraft and make quicker and sharper turns while in flight. Thus, there exists a need for this improvement in aircraft as well.
The present invention is directed to an aircraft having a means to rotate the gas turbine engine 360° to enable quicker and sharper directional changes of the aircraft. Further, the aircraft can have a gas turbine engine comprising at least two turbines that are mounted opposite to one another. The turbines are not connected in series. Instead, the turbines are mounted on opposite sides of the combustion chamber, such that the combustion of high velocity, high pressure gas mixture from the combustion chamber can be simultaneously and equally directed to both turbines to generate maximum thrust.